Friday, 4 November 2011

This guy is no Christian but he has done an amazing job of recreating it in LEGO! The pictures are amazing. Fundamentalists will love it and I love it as it shows how crazy it is to take messages away from the Bible without considering it's historical context. Plus, people in LEGO are always cute!

I've used the images a couple of times in my sermons and they have gone done a treat - making tricky subjects fun and memorable.

Check out the link to see how you can get permission to use his images in your church http://www.bricktestament.com/churches/index.html. Unfortunately he hasn't given permission to use them anywhere else on the web - fair enough... but I reckon he wouldn't mind a plug for his book ...

I assume you are a humanIf not, welcome to the planet, and I'm sorry about all those terrible sci-fi movies.
If you are a human, you have a head, which is useful for hanging sunglasses on, but it can also cause a few problems.

Life is ChaptersYou're a book. You are born in chapter two. (No-one likes to think about what their parents did in Chapter One! Actually, Chapter One is also all about your heritage, your roots, your whakapapa.) The chapters have rolled on, one after another - perhaps some good, some bad.

The book isn't finished yet
Maybe, right now, you are in the middle of a rotten, hard, tough chapter. It's a stink chapter. Stink chapters often contain this lie: "This is how it's always going to be." Yes, it may be a shocker at the moment, but the moment isn't forever. The rest of the book of your life hasn't been written yet. Even if your book has had a tragic start, you can choose how your story is going to turn out.

Many people just watch their lives happen the same way they watch a TV programme happen. They are interested to see how it's going to turn out, but they do not really believe that they can change things. Why settle for a lousy, B-grade life?

You are the script-writer, director and star of your own life. Why not write yourself a great script?
This site is COMPLETELY dedicated to the idea that anyone can change their life. And you are an anyone. You can do something with your life.

Change means moving on
"Yeah, right, fine. Easy to say, hard to do. How do I get the life I want while I'm still super-glued to the life I've got now?" This site isn't magic. To get from the life you've got to the life you want may take time, and it may be hard. But you can get there... as long as you're prepared to move on.

The phenomenon of Light Party® is an idea born in New Zealand, that is rapidly gaining popularity.

The first Light Party® was held in 2000 when Wendy Reid became concerned about the risks surrounding traditional Halloween activities.

Not only was she concerned as a Christian about celebrating fear and darkness utilising scary costumes, but as a parent she was worried about the risks associated with children wandering the streets at night and knocking on strangers doors, as well as the ethics of doorknocking for free treats.

Her first Light Party® for family and friends was a roaring success so the following year she decided to put on a Light Party® for her local Sunday School.

That too was a huge success and Wendy was spurred on by the enthusiasm of the parents and children who had attended. She decided to broaden the concept and offer it to other groups, eventually Trade Marking the logo and establishing Light Party Incorporated.

The Light Party® phenomenon was under way!

Groups that have taken up the idea of providing a positive alternative on Halloween have been thrilled by the assistance Light Party Inc. has been able to provide with everything available from logos, party plans, suggested activities and even t'shirts.

This is designed to ensure the quality of Light Parties is maintained and that all who attend have a great (and safe) time!

In 2003, there were 24 Light Party® events in New Zealand, nearly 100 in 2004 including Australia and USA, 120 in 2005 and since then numbers have continued to grow, with Light Party® events taking place in even more countries and run by a variety of different groups. In particular UK churches have been keen to take up the Light Party® concept.

The whole idea is of the Light Party® is to make sure each event:

Provides a safe, family oriented environment

Emphasises no witches, ghosts, or scary costumes and activities

Celebrates good things by promoting fun and values

One of the real spin-offs from Light Party® events is that they are proving a real way of bringing communities together.

Church in Progress is an experiment of inclusive worship in South Auckland. We hope that our worship will inspire action in our community and our actions will inspire our worship.

We are new and we hope that we are little bit different. But however different Church in Progress may look like at it's core is our mate Jesus! We believe that through a relationship with Jesus our connection with God and with one another will grow stronger.

Church in Progress is based on discussion NOT on telling you what to think. If you are looking for a place to develop your faith or you are just curious about what life might be like as a Christian - Church in Progress might just be for you.

Be warned - we hope to develop a community of active disciples. We aren't just talking about what Jesus' teachings mean - we also try and put those teachings in action. What will that kind of faith mean for your life?

Join in and find out!

The Core Team of Church in Progress currently is Angie, Adrienne, Alan and Emily. Emily looks after this blog and you can contact her on emily.worman@gmail.com